Video of boy crying in snow sparks uproar

Beijing - A home-filmed video showing a 4-year-old Chinese boy being forced by his parents to run almost naked through the snow in bitterly cold New York has gone viral and sparked an online uproar.

The father was reportedly trying to train his son to be strong and healthy, and the footage has sparked debate about "Chinese"-style tough parenting - as famously illustrated by Chinese American author Amy Chua in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

In the video, the little boy runs towards his father, who is filming him, in thick snow with only his shoes and underpants on, at times crying bitterly and pleading with his dad to take him in his arms.

On several occasions, both parents tell their son to lie down in the snow, which he does eventually when his mother presses him.

The film - posted online by his father, who comes from the eastern city of Nanjing - has been viewed by tens of thousands of people on various video sharing websites and has caused outrage.

"I don't agree with this... We should give children a happy childhood, those terrible parents say they do this for their child's own good, but I think their purpose is just to be able to brag in the future," one netizen said.

Health problems

"I really don't support this, poor kid, does the kid's mother let the father do whatever he wants to do?" another person said on Sina's popular weibo microblogging service.

The father has been given the nickname of "Eagle Dad" in reference to Chua, who sparked controversy when she wrote a book extolling the benefits of tough parenting.

Chinese reporters who managed to interview the father found out the family was on holiday in New York during the Lunar New Year holiday last month when the video was shot, and the temperature was -13°.

The father - an entrepreneur - was trying to train his son to be tough after he was born two months premature, suffering from various health problems.

"Occasionally teaching your child about the cold and fortitude is ok, but if this method becomes a feature of everyday life, then the child's life learning process is just cruel," one person said on Sina's weibo.

China's one-child policy has created a generation of only children widely viewed as spoiled.

At the same time, kids are increasingly being forced by their parents to study hard at the expense of leisure activities to succeed in an increasingly competitive job market.

- The following video might upset sensitive viewers.

Comments

Moi - 2012-02-08 11:18

Absolutely sickening!!!!! How the hell can you make your 4 year old toddler run half naked in the snow????

Vanessa - 2012-02-08 12:48

I am curious to hear the opinion of those who gave a thumbs down to this comment.Or do you just don't agree JUST because you can?

rbphiri - 2012-02-08 15:41

Clearly the people who are giving the thumbs down wouldn't mind their kids suffering a similar fate. I can just imagine what hell your kids go through under your care.

Tracey.KitKat - 2012-02-08 11:19

This is plain and simple CHILD ABUSE!!! The child should be taken away from the parents and be given to a loving home.

Thokozane - 2012-02-08 11:25

Child abuse, I don't know what these parents are trying to prove.

Isabel - 2012-02-08 11:25

WTH is wrong with them??!!!

Comrade - 2012-02-08 11:27

BAD IDEA!! Chinese people are losing their mojo bigtime!!

Doc - 2012-02-08 11:31

Ninja training has to start somewhere!!

Merven - 2012-02-08 12:00

Just a question, how come there is no steam coming out of the kids mouth? Is it because of the lungs that get too cold maybe? Any doctor or medic that might help with the question?

People like this should NEVER be allowed to have children!!!so disgusted now! The stupid idiotic parents should be made to run around almost completely naked and lie is snow!

Lee - 2012-02-08 11:35

I cant even bring myself to watch this video as I have a 4 year old son. He is a tough boy but never would I do to him what these parents have done to their son.

Samantha - 2012-02-08 11:48

neither can i Lee- :(

kobie.nel1 - 2012-02-08 11:36

You are all a lot of pissies. Life is not a featherbed and a child should know that.
Simple, when he end up in a bad situation, as, say an earthquake, storm, whatever he at least know what to expect. Mamma and pappa cannot always be there for the rest of your life to give a hug and rub your litte head and dry your tears.
Remember Racheltjie De Beer.

cheryl.kristiansen - 2012-02-08 11:47

Ja and apparently that Racheltjie story is a load of bollocks. As per the rest of your ramblings. There are other ways to teach children. Should i give my kids a thrashimng with a sjambok just in case they are ever arrested and tortured in some weird country? Your logic is screwy dude!!!

Merven - 2012-02-08 12:01

And remember what happened to Racheltjie de Beer.

kobie.nel1 - 2012-02-08 12:08

Merven, she saved her brother and gave her own life.
Cheryl, you probably grew up a "don't do that" child.
In total control of your parents with no dissipline .... or guts if the pawpaw hits the fan.

Moi - 2012-02-08 12:14

Oh yes, making a 4 year old run in the snow half naked is really teaching him a lesson. What exactly is the lesson???

Vanessa - 2012-02-08 12:56

I honestly do not see the lesson. And if an earquake or a storm comes, I seriously doubt that this experience would be any help, running up and down in the snow is hardly a solution for survival

kobie.nel1 - 2012-02-08 13:21

Cheryl
Your child should never be in the situation to give resoan to be arrested, period.
To give a hiding with a sjambok is for criminals. Children get sent to their OWN room and told to think about what they have done, and why that deserve a hiding. Then, halve an hour later when the parent kalmed down have a nice talk with the child and then dish out the sensable hiding with a broad strap on the backside. Red is good, blood is bad. Sure, it hurts a loving parent more to give that hiding, but the long term inforcment of that message override the immediate hurt by far.
The message get over, "when you get arrested, it will be painfull, they will not tell you "don't do that"".

kobie.nel1 - 2012-02-08 13:31

Moi, if the parent tell the child the reason for the action the child will get the message with time. Get strong son and teach youy children to take the punch, figuratively, with practicality. Now I think that will be above your ability to understand, but I tried at least.
I myself at the age of 4 had to go out in snow and after hael storms to go save lambs and chickens that was caught outside. Afterwards ending up with a cold and snotty nose, barefoot because I had only school/church shoes. No problem warming feet and hands up in front of a coal stove later when the job is done.

Moi - 2012-02-08 14:19

@ Kobie - "I myself at the age of 4 had to go out in snow and after hael storms to go save lambs and chickens that was caught outside"
Were you half naked at the time? Were your parents filming you and did they then share the video with the world??
You were doing chores, which forms a vital part of running a household and making a contribution to your family.
What is a child learning from being forced to run half naked in the snow for no discernable reason??

Charlie - 2012-02-08 14:31

Racheltjie de Beer fking died, you idiot!

kobie.nel1 - 2012-02-08 14:43

Oh dear you are all a lot of pissies for sure. Do not want you in a bad situation at my side. Will have to look out for a crying bunch of screaming "help me mama!!!" the whole time, cowering behind me.
SamuraiMama, you have taken the wrong name. A Samurai will respect Racheltjie for what she had done and honour her. You do not deserve to be called that, AND THEN YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAMA OF THEM, geeeeeeez, save a nation with arrogance like that.

Moi - 2012-02-08 14:53

@ Kobie - "I myself at the age of 4 had to go out in snow and after hael storms to go save lambs and chickens that was caught outside"
Were you half naked at the time? Were your parents filming you and did they then share the video with the world??
You were doing chores, which forms a vital part of running a household and making a contribution to your family.
What is a child learning from being forced to run half naked in the snow for no discernable reason??

Silvana - 2012-02-08 16:04

@kobie.nel1. You are about as sick as the Modimolle monster. I pity you. You obviously have never experienced the love a child should get from his parents. As far as Racheltjie De Beer is concerned, nobody threw her into the snow. It was her choice and she wasn't 4 years old,. and she wasn't in her undies. How stupid can some people get.

Silvana - 2012-02-08 16:21

@kobie.nel. It is you and your type that spawn the likes of the Wit Wolxw and Eugene De Kock. They're always trying to prove to their fathers that they are the "main manne", I hope you have a son and he takes embroidery for matric.

ah now that is good parenting, that's whats wrong with this world we baby our kids that's why they turn out to be useless layabouts and stuff around in school. Where are the days of a good PK! and off to ur room without supper. kids have to to easy these days.

DISGUSTING!I have a three year old and one must appeciate them not put them through torture

Doc - 2012-02-08 13:39

Everyone who has some criticism of this piece is either a hypocrite or a bad parent. In order to teach our children we have to discipline them right? Whichever way you decide to do it, it will result in the child being upset, in tears or otherwise, yet as responsible parents we tell ourselves it is for their own good. A friend of mine once made his 2 year old walk barefoot on a cold floor in a desperate hope to bring down her fever after all else had failed, she cried and protested but within an hour her fever had broken. Now, this guys kid was born 2 MONTHS prematurely, any loving parent would have fretted and been near breakdown. Fearing that his son needs to toughen up physically he is doing supervised strengthening exercises which he hopes will benefit his son in the long run. He might be right, he might be wrong but if you claim that you have never brought your child to tears by enforcing what you believe to be positive discipline then you are a liar, if in fact you have disciplined your child which would have led to some unhappiness and you have criticise this guy then you are a hypocrite.

Patsy - 2012-02-08 13:53

2 months premature!!! They are more likely to kill the little boy!

Doc - 2012-02-08 14:09

The kid is four years old Patsy, not still a premature baby.

Moi - 2012-02-08 14:42

This is not discipline. I don't see it as strengthening exercises either. What happened to signing your children up for karate classes? Vitamins? Just good old exercise?

Patsy - 2012-02-08 13:47

Where is the Social Welfare, what are they doing about this barbaric behaviour?

Sonia - 2012-02-08 15:03

I could'nt finish watching the video, that is child abuse. How can you do that to a little child and look him in the eyes when his crying like that especially when that is your child. Idiots!!!!

Tariq - 2012-02-08 15:31

lol

Silvana - 2012-02-08 15:53

F^*king A$$&ole father. Thank God China has a 1 child policy. Idiots like that should not be allowed to breed. And what's worse, the retard of a mother is encouraging the toddler. People then wonder why kids grow up and turn into monsters. Is there no international agency that can intervene. My heart bleeds for that poor kid. You'll most probably find that the father is a limp-wristed excuse of a man.

Fidel - 2012-02-08 18:43

You have to admire the Chinese method of avoiding a Western-style underclass :
"it is illegal in almost every province for single women to have a child and that people who have children out of wedlock must pay "social compensation fees" (29 Feb. 2009, Sec.1.f). The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) reports that those who give birth to a child outside of marriage can face fines six to eight times the amount of their income from the previous year (US 31 Oct. 2008, 97). According to a 2005 article in Reproductive Health, very few children are born out of wedlock in China (11 Aug. 2005, 3)."
This is what we get from a Super Power acting responsibly instead of encouring child birth to be cannon fodder for endless wars.

Carl - 2012-02-08 17:54

Yet we still buy chinese goods and suck up to the new coloniser, the chinese leadership dehumanise their people,they are masters of control, they are the ultimate capitalists, exploit the people for the enrichment of the few...Welcome to the new south africa, mark my words

Fidel - 2012-02-08 18:24

Hahaha, what a porkchop, couldn't pass the opportunity to dehumanise China. China is not colonising anyone but trade. The Chinese put money on the table and make an offer, they are not forcing anyone to convert into Bhuddist, give them Chinese names, spreading communism or take out a gun and demand that all resources be given to them for free.
The Chinese troops are all withing their borders.

scheltgen - 2012-02-08 19:10

sad it appears to me not understanding the language the kid wanted to go outside and his parents were trying to teach him that its cold and he tripped in the snow it was right in front of the family home in new york this child was in his runners and the viddio was about the amount of time it took for the parents to put the trash outside , a learning experiance for a child under adult supervision its not as bad as it looks he seems healthy and accompanied by both parents likely his first time ever seeing snow

Raphael - 2012-02-08 19:40

As an Asian guy living in America, I don't recommend Americans accept Asian style education. It leads children to slavery, instead of growing them as free thinking individual. They know how to get A's in schools, but no creativity at all.Because of lack of freedom, people of my race tend to get into arguments with parents a lot and sometimes take their own lives due to too much stress.

xtjmx - 2012-02-09 01:24

ha, reminds me of my childhood. Break the cycle, dont perpetuate it.

jojo196323 - 2012-02-10 21:52

parents need to be left naked in the snow all night and then put in prison so they can be abuse

Tanya - 2012-02-10 22:44

What in the name of God is wrong with people , beliefs or not , what your doing to your child is nothing less than abusive. You deserve to be charged.

jwallenqa - 2012-02-10 23:11

WHAT THE HELL IS THE REASONING WITH THIS? That sumbitch needs to be shipped up to Alaska where the snow was so deep and forced to run naked through it, no shoes, no underpants. Let him deal with the repercussions of the similarity. I cannot believe anyone (well maybe Josh Powell) would do that to their child. I love my kids. Geez.